The Knave of Diamonds
Ethel May Dell
Edwardian Romance
Published 1913
Synopsis
A complex romantic drama set in Edwardian England, The Knave of Diamonds focusses on the morally ambiguous Napoleon (Nap) Errol, a charismatic and impulsive knave, and Lady Anne, a reserved Englishwoman trapped in an unhappy marriage. Nap’s intense passion for Anne clashes with her strict adherence to social conventions and marital vows, creating a tense emotional tug-of-war. Their relationship unfolds against the backdrop of English societal norms that valorize duty and restraint, forcing both characters to challenge their deepest values. This tension between desire versus duty, and the transformative power of love, shape the choices each of them makes within their unique social positions. The novel examines how love can both elevate and trouble individuals, especially within the rigid class structures of the time.
Novel Excerpt
It seemed to Anne presently that she had left the earth altogether, and was gliding upwards through starland without effort or conscious movement of any sort, simply as though lifted by the hands that held her own. Their vitality thrilled through her like a strong current of electricity. She felt that whichever way they turned, wherever they led her, she must be safe. And there was a quivering ecstasy in that dazzling, rapid rush that filled her veins like liquid fire.
“Do you know where you are?” he asked her once.
And she answered, in a species of breathless rapture, “I feel as if I were caught in a rainbow.”
He laughed again at that, a soft, exultant laugh, and drew her more swiftly on.
They left the other masqueraders behind; they left the shimmering lake and its many lights; and at last in the starlight only they slackened speed.
Anne came out of her trance of delight to find that they were between the banks of the stream that fed the lake. The ground on each side of them shone white and hard in the frost-bound silence. The full moon was just rising over a long silver ridge of down. She stood with her face to its cold splendour, her hands still locked in that vital grip.
Slowly at last, compelled she knew not how, she turned to the man beside her. His eyes were blazing at her with a lurid fire, and suddenly that sensation that had troubled her once before in his presence—a sensation of sharp uneasiness—pricked through her confidence.
She stood quite still, conscious of a sudden quickening of her heart. But she did not shrink from that burning gaze. She met it with level eyes.